Roving Reporter Fans Could Do Without A Baseball Strike

According to the people who study the history that is taught out of textbooks, it does eventually repeat itself.

However the history we are talking about could occur in the sports world - the baseball strike.

Four years ago, "American's greatest pastime," baseball, was abruptly halted for 50 days because of the strike. This strike brought mixed feelings from all who make up the sports world, including the most important person, the loyal fan.

Once again a strike may appear. The players have made Aug. 6 the deadline, right in the middle of the pennant race leading up to the World Series.

Some of the player representatives believe owners want to force the players out, and sit on them until the players knuckle under.

What the players are trying to get is a settlement to a labor issue at the same time they are trying to play baseball on the field.

The players want management to maintain the traditional one-third slice of the television rights revenue for the union's pension and benefit plan. The owners have resisted that after signing a record $1.1-billion broadcast deal that was far in excess of previous contracts.

This Roving Reporter talked to the "loyal fan" to see what their feelings would be if, indeed, history does repeat itself in the sports world.

Keith "Jake" Boyer of Lehighton said, "It is unfair to the fan. Those $1-million ball players should have the salaries cut and shared with other players in the league.

"During the last strike baseball lost fans and if this takes place again they will lose a lot more fans."

Mike Wehr of Weissport said, "What do these players want? They are getting paid too much as it is. Some of the players are making more than the president of the United States. I, and many other people, can't understand why they should be paid more than our president."

Wehr added, "The players better start thinking about the price a fan must pay to see him play. If they don't, they could price themselves right out of a job. They should remember the fan pays their salaries and in my eyes they have priced themselves out of me paying $8 to see a baseball game."

Donna Deibert of Lehighton R.1 is one who would like to see a baseball strike. "Just think, if there is a strike maybe something worthwhile will be put on television in place of baseball.

"Just stop and think for a minute. You look at the salaries of most of the ball players and I would say they are overpaid."

Ray Koons, a school teacher in the Lehighton Area School District, does not think the players will go out on strike.

"The way today's economy is, today a strike would hurt. People just would not come back to the sport and pay the price owners will have to charge for tickets."

Another reason Koons feel the players will not strike is they would be playing right into the hands of the National Football League which will be starting preseason games in August.

"Beside football coming into the picture the salaries of most of the ball players are out of line. You take a utility player, some of them are making $100,000 plus," he added.

Robert Deibert of Lehighton, a big Phillies fan, said, "The players are overpaid. I think the people will go back to watch baseball even if the players go on strike."

With a smile on his face he added, "I hope if there is a second half of a season the Phillies do a lot better than in the first half."

"But then you can't blame the players for what is taking place. The owners did it all themselves by giving the free agents the big money. Noweverybody wants to get into the act. The owners are making money on the players doing the work so why shouldn't the players get a larger share?"